D/C: I don't own any part of Naruto

I'm going to start making up a load of stuff. Like the new village.

Thanks for reviews, everyone! X) I love 'em.

Surprises

It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight mixed with the green leaves of the woods. Sakura had taken his hand and was swinging it about as they walked along the path. Sasuke felt happy. If only he could tell Sakura somehow. Somehow… He glanced sideways and down at Sakura cheerfully talking about something, and his ears turned themselves off again as he admired her. She was pretty, definitely. Cute, too. She understood people so easily, and knew what to say to comfort them. He was so different from her, why would she ever love him again?

"Sasuke?" Sakura was looking at him. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh… yeah I'm fine." He said.

"Hey I've got to tell you something." She said, suddenly. Sasuke's head snapped up.

'What?"

"I'm… I'm going to be gone for the next couple of weeks."

"Why!" Sakura looked somewhat taken aback at the amount of alarm in Sasuke's voice.

"Um… Hokage-sama wants me to come along to a trip to another one of the villages. It's one of the newer ones, and we want to make friendly relations with them. You could call it a bodyguard job, although I think Tsunade-sama really doesn't need too many. Plus, she offered to make me a chuunin if I took the offer."

He felt empty. Sakura gone. A bodyguard? What if someone attacked the group? She might die. He had to tell her. Wait, don't be so hasty, he told himself, it's just an innocent little journey, don't lose your relationship with her just because you opened up.

"S-Sakura… isn't this a little dangerous?" he asked her, nervously.

Sakura's eyes darkened. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Sasuke. I'm not weak, I'm just as strong as you or Naruto. Don't underestimate me. I plan on going. But-"

Sasuke's sense flew out of him and he roar at himself TELL HER NOW!

But… instead of saying anything, he stopped walking.

"Sasuke? There's something else, you know."

He didn't reply, but took her other hand in his and pulled her around to face him. Bending his neck slightly, he kissed her. He didn't care what would happen, not anymore.

Ever since she had told him about her trip with Tsunade, he had been acting quite strange. But as he stopped and took her other hand, she knew something weird was going on. What was up with him? She looked up into his face, her eyes lightening with questions. But then he kissed her, and everything blew off her mind like leaves on wind. In her mind, the Inner Sakura suddenly saw the corridor again. But this time, it was bright and vivid colors, and the pictures she thought long gone were suddenly back. The halves of torn paper with her and Sasuke on it were going back in time, slowly sealing themselves back into a whole piece of paper. Her feelings for Sasuke rushed back, and now, she knew, that it would just give her more strength, and nothing with her powers would change. She was in love, what could happen? Her feet tipped forward slightly to reach him better, and her wide eyes closed.

He pulled out of the kiss, and his eyes opened, looking at her.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He mumbled, looking down, and pulling his hands from hers, stuffing them in his pockets. "But… please, don't go. I don't know what came over me… I'm sorry." He said.

Sakura laughed, shakily, and reached out for his arm, drawing him close.

"It's okay, Sasuke. Really. I'm happy." She whispered softly.

Sasuke's heart seemed to lighten, and tender memories of his family and parents rushed into his mind. She had accepted him. She liked him back. Maybe it was even love. He would love her like his family that had been taken from him so early in his life. Except he wouldn't let Sakura slip away. He'd protect her with his life.

"But… you're leaving. I can't let you just leave!" he said.

Sakura laughed again. "That's the something else that you ignored. You're coming too. The village elders insisted that the Uchiha genius ninja go with the Hokage, too. You can become a chuunin! Naruto's going off to train for two years with some white haired old guy, and since it's time we became chuunins, the village elders might make him a chuunin too. He's got the Kyuubi, so he can master almost anything with the right control and training."

"I'm coming?" Sasuke asked. This really was the best day of his life. He could go with Sakura, his newfound love.

"Yup. Jiraiya, that's Naruto's teacher, is going to tell Naruto today. We'll see him off tomorrow morning, and we leave at noon. We're going to the Hidden Light. It belongs to the land of Day or something. It's got two villages! Hidden Light and Hidden Dark, they're called. It's nuts! We're going with Tsunade-sama, Hyuuga Kirari-san, and Yuzuru-san! Wow, I never thought we'd be able to go on such a trip. Yuzuru and Hyuuga Kirari-san! Think of it!"

Sasuke's arm curled around Sakura's waist, slowly but with confidence, as he thought about it. Sakura smiled quietly. It had come true. She was still slightly in shock. It seemed so natural, that they were still talking like this. The boy she had never really truly forgot about loved her back. She leaned her head against his shoulder, timidly, as they began to walk again.

He spoke up, "Yuzuru-san? Really! And Kirari-san. And we're going with them!" she looked up and saw him smiling at her. His face came closer to hers and her eyes seemed to give a flicker of light red as she blushed right before they kissed again. "I can't wait." Sasuke whispered in her ear, giving her shivers. Sasuke tried to kiss her again but Sakura put a finger to his lips.

"Take it slow, okay?" she smiled at him. Sasuke turned red and apologized.

"Sorry." He mumbled. He wanted to let her know how much he loved her, her kindness, who she was. As close as she had become to his heart, he had still told no one of the true horror he had gone through that night he met Itachi over the bodies of his dead parents.

They continued their leisurely walk through the woods, and the night was falling fast. They reached a grand old willow with its drooping branches creating a lush green curtain, and a private room in the middle. It was their favorite spot in the entire woods. Brushing aside the green leaves and flexible branches, they sat against the willow's trunk. Sakura's head tipped onto Sasuke's shoulder, and he returned the gesture, fondly putting an arm around Sakura's shoulder and leaning his head on Sakura's. There, they talked quietly for about an hour, about the journey, what it would be like, and others of the short. Sasuke didn't dare try to make Sakura promise she would try to avoid getting hurt. She wouldn't take it well. She's right, Sasuke reminded himself, kunoichis deserve their ninja pride, do they not? I'm not being fair. If anything, the kunoichis are sometimes better…

Before they left the willow for the village, Sakura's Full Bloom Technique extended a tiny petal out of her fingertip, and she traced Sasuke's and her name again, but in the tree trunk. Then the glow of the petal disappeared, and instead a greenish blue cloud of fuzzy lights appeared around her hand, and she healed the tree trunk to prevent any damage. Their names would live forever in the tree. Her job finished, she turned to Sasuke and smiled at him, her eyes light.

They went by tree back to the village, to make it faster, as the day was long gone. As they passed the training grounds and arrived at the oak tree where they met, they dropped to the ground. This time, Sakura kissed Sasuke lightly on his lips and brushed his cheek with a finger.

"Remember to pack. Nine o' clock we see Naruto off. See you tomorrow." She whispered, and ran off towards her house. Sasuke stood, leaning against the tree trunk, watching her go, her long ponytail lashing back and forth as she ran. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. I definitely love that girl. He smiled to himself, and started off for his house, wrapped in his own thoughts.